house guests.14: out and about

Our tiny weekend getaway in East End with D&K was my personal highlight of their trip. (Am I allowed to pick a "highlight" of someone else's trip?)  Outside of our weekend travels, D&K busied themselves with stingrays and sunshine and dolphins and diving. But in the evenings, we made sure they visited a few of Cayman's fine dining establishments on the island.

Sunshine Grill

How many times have I posted about this restaurant? I think all readers should know by now that this cozy bar and grill comes highly recommended on my list entitled "Delicious Affordable Food". If you need a place to take the family, or to drop in for lunch, or you just desperately need the best Island Fish Tacos around (and who doesn't), Sunshine Grill is the place to go.

See? They liked it!

Also, I like how Sunshine provides opportunities for self-entertainment while you wait. Here KP is playing that game where you try to swing the ring on a string onto a hook on the wall. It must be nearly impossible, but it looks so easy that it keeps everyone occupied for a while.

I never get tired of the Trivial Pursuit cards they keep in cups on each table, keeping your mind searching for bits of randomitis rather than drooling over the the thought of a succulent Snapper Sandwich.

If having frequent house guests means frequent trips to Sunshine, then count me in.

Sibs

A little post-dinner walk on the beach landed us in the seaside cabanas at the Ritz. It was all we could do to keep from dozing off on the king-sized loungers.

I would like to think that it was the sound of gentle waves lapping the shore that made us drowsy...

...but I think at least as much blame goes to our satisfying dinner.

World-class sunset

One of the things I love about my drive home is when I take the bypass to the very northern end where it joins up with West Bay Road, I have the most excellent westward view of the setting sun right near Tiki Beach. It's so breathtaking - not to mention distracting - which is why I almost ran off the road catching a glimpse of this sunset as we headed home from Morritt's.  Another photo op!

I love it when the foreground is just as great as the background.

Camana Bay

N took the kids out solo one evening while I was at worship team practice, but I warned him that a night at Camana Bay with Mr. and Mrs. Photogenic couldn't go undocumented. After devouring the world's best sea bass at Abacus, the three did a little loop of Camana Bay, including the observation tower...

...and the fountain.

We all got the giggles at some photos he took that didn't exactly make the blog. Let's just say D&K were patient posers while N bravely explore the non-Auto camera settings.

Ahh, the terrors of using a filter at night. Watch out for ghost lighting; otherwise, totally love it!

 Nice shots, N!


Ristorante Pappagallo

That same night, my practice ended just as the other three were leaving dinner, and all four of us wanted Calypso Grill's widely-acclaimed sticky toffee pudding. But. What we didn't realize was that Calypso closes on Mondays, so we ended up at Ristorante Pappagallo for a sugar fix and some love from Humphrey Bogart.

Pappagallo serves one of the only peanut butter desserts in Grand Cayman (top left.)  It's FABulous.  And the tiramisu (lower left, obviously) is a classic standby that delivers every time. But the surprise of the evening was the cheesecake wrapped in phyllo dough (upper right) - decadent!

I love this picture of D&K with Humphrey. It reminds me of our first trip to Pappagallo with B&K over a year ago - gosh, time flies!

    photo credit: NS

Having D&K all to ourselves for a week was a treat, especially because it was the first time we got some concentrated one-on-one time with KP. There's nothing quite like family, and I feel extra blessed that our family has expanded to include her.

    photo credit: NS

my little lifesavers

Hope to see you two again soon!